If you're looking for a Pokémon TCG Pocket tier list, you're in the right place. We've spent hours playing this spin-off card game, taking on both solo battles and online duels to decide on the best cards from the current pool. If you're still struggling to put together the resources for a Pokémon TCG Pocket meta deck, we've also got a tier list of the best rental decks, so you can get busy earning pack hourglasses and picking up new cards for your collection.
If you're looking for more Pokémon guides while you're here, be sure to check out our picks for the best dog Pokémon, cat Pokémon, bird Pokémon, and horse Pokémon, all of which feature in our complete Pokédex. Or, if you'd rather revisit some classic titles than get involved in a new card game, check out our guide to the best Pokémon games to see if there are any that you still haven't got around to playing yourself.
Pokémon TCG Pocket meta tier list
With well over 800 cards in Pokémon TCG Pocket, deciding which are the best of the best in the current meta is no easy matter. Still, we've spent more than enough time putting together Pokémon TCG Pocket decks and playing online to figure out who comes out on top in the current meta, so you can check out which cards to aim for or build decks around in the table below.
| Tier | Pokémon TCG Pocket card |
| S | Darkrai ex, Giratina ex, Buzzwole ex, Charizard ex (Shining Revelry), Greninja, Celesteela, Silvally |
| A | Flareon ex, Solgaleo ex, Dialga ex, Magneton, Magnezone, Rampardos, Nihilego, Phermosa, Zeraora, Oricorio (lightning-type) |
| B | Primarina ex, Incineroar ex, Garchomp ex, Tapu Koko ex, Leafeon ex, Kartana, Flareon, Shiinotic |
| C | Guzzlord ex, Dragonite ex, Eevee ex, Palkia ex, Gallade ex, Decidueye ex, Celebi ex, Leafeon, Shaymin, Lucario, Meowscarada, Alcremie |
| D | Mewtwo ex, Starmie ex, Gardevoir, Druddigon, Slurpuff |
In terms of the S-tier cards on our Pokémon TCG Pocket tier list, Darkrai ex, Giratina ex, and Buzzwole ex are all worth building decks around. Darkrai ex has both a powerful attack that deals 80 damage and an ability that can hit for 20 damage from the bench, which combines with trainer card Cyrus to force your opponent into switching out their active Pokémon, potentially stopping them in their tracks.
Buzzwole ex is a straight-up heavy hitter that only requires three energy to deal 120 damage. Its ability hampers it a little, but that's what Celesteela is for, enabling you to switch Buzzwole ex in and out so you're not limited to one attack every two turns. Then, there's Giratina ex, which acts as its own energy engine and can power up a massive Chaotic Impact attack in a couple of turns. They're our current top three, but Charizard ex, Solgaleo ex, and the rest of the A- and B-ranked options also have their uses.
How we chose the best Pokémon TCG Pocket cards
We put together our Pokémon TCG Pocket tier list by combining our own in-game experience using different decks and by checking out the decks that are most used by the various content creators playing the game. However, the more cards that arrive, the harder it gets to decide which remains at the top of our rankings, so it might take us a little while to add the newest arrivals to our list.
Still, if you're struggling to pack any ex cards, you still have some options for competitive decks. There's the Pidgeot and Arbok combination, which can force an active Pokémon change from your opponent with Pidgeot before Arbok uses its move to lock that Pokémon in. Or, there's Blaine and Centiscorch, with Blaine boosting Centiscorch's energy to quickly get to the four required for the fire bug's big attack. Put simply, all the cards in our Pokémon TCG Pocket tier list can be game-changers in the current meta, but we'll be back to update it when the next card set arrives.
What are the best Pokémon TCG Pocket meta decks?
If you've read the last two sections, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the best meta threats at the time of writing are decks that utilize Darkrai ex, Giratina ex, and Buzzwole ex. If you play a lot of ranked online battles, you're likely to run into these three cards time and time again.
However, we're expecting things to shift and evolve as new cards arrive in the game. It was only a few months ago that Mewtwo ex and Celebi ex ruled the roost, but now they're less common in meta decks, though some strategies have potential, and they're still fairly common to come across while battling online.
When are new Pokémon TCG Pocket cards coming?
Following the arrival of the latest Pokémon TCG Pocket set, Mega Rising, in late October 2025, we're not exactly sure when the next batch of fresh cards might arrive. So far, we've had a new set or mini set roughly every month, so we could see more Pokémon arrive in late July, but we won't know for sure until we get an announcement from The Pokémon Company.
There are our Pokémon TCG Pocket tier lists detailing the best cards from the current meta and rental decks. If you're looking for more fun with digital cardboard while you're here, be sure to check out our guide to the best mobile card games. Or, if you're thinking of revisiting the Pokémon TCG, see our sister site Wargamer's guides to the best Pokémon cards and the rarest Pokémon cards.